Robert Roode has come a long way from stepping into the ring for his first match, in 1998, against Pete Rock.

"I don't think I even got paid," says Roode, who has moved on to much bigger and better things and is excited about performing at TNA's No Surrender pay-per-view Sunday night in Oshawa.

"I've wrestled in a Legion in front of 300 people, now (tomorrow) at the GM Centre, I'll be in front of 4,000-5,000 people."

Performing in front of people is something Roode has had designs on for a long time, giving up on the notion that he might one day play in the NHL to become a wrestler instead.

"I was a hockey player since I was four years old," says Roode, who grew up in Peterborough.

"I played Tier 2 junior A and competitive hockey until I was 20. Every Canadian hockey player dreams about being in the NHL. But when I wasn't drafted into the OHL and got past being 16, 17 and 18, I knew I wasn't going to play in the NHL.

"As soon as I stepped into the ring, it was surreal. I knew this was something I was meant to do. I grew up in the age of Hulkamania."

Chris Jericho was brutalized by Shawn Michaels in their "Unsanctioned" match at last Sunday's Unforgiven pay-per-view, then went out and won the world championship Scramble match ... as a replacement for CM Punk, who was beaten up by Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, Manu (Afa Jr., son of the WWE Hall of Famer) and Randy Orton (earlier in the show). Other results: Matt Hardy won the ECW title; Triple H kept the WWE title; Michelle McCool beat Maryse; and Rhodes and DiBiase beat Cryme Tyme.